Oppose AB 1740 – Keep California's Coast for Everyone!

California's coastline belongs to all Californians, not just those wealthy enough to live near it. For 50 years, the California Coastal Act has guaranteed every resident the right to reach and enjoy our public shores. AB 1740 would gut those protections under the guise of promoting bike lanes and transit.

The bill creates a sweeping new loophole — the "urban multimodal community" designation — that would exempt Santa Monica from the Coastal Development Permit process with almost no scrutiny. The consequences are severe: immediate removal of coastal parking along state highways, cutting off beach access for inland families; preferential parking for coastal residents; fee hikes with no public appeal; and luxury housing and hotel development exempt from environmental review, sea level rise analysis, and public comment.

Santa Monica is one of only 12 coastal cities that hasn't completed its Local Coastal Program, despite receiving $375,000 in state grants to do so. Rather than bypassing the Coastal Act, Santa Monica should follow the path of the other 64 coastal jurisdictions that have completed the process.

If AB 1740 passes, it sets a dangerous precedent for cities statewide to create their own exemptions. Oppose AB 1740 unless all Coastal Act exemptions are removed. Protect our coast — for everyone.